09/03/2025
God broke the mold when he made Joe D.. One of the kindest, most giving individuals we've ever had the pleasure of working with.
In the 1970s, Buffalo had a football team that was gritty, tough, and built on muscle up front. The heart of that machine was Joe DeLamielleure—better known as “Joe D.” He wasn’t flashy, he wasn’t the guy running into the end zone with cameras flashing. But make no mistake, without him, the “Electric Company” never would have turned the lights on. And when they said the line “turned the Juice loose,” they were talking about him paving the way for O.J. Simpson’s historic runs.
Joe’s road to the NFL didn’t begin with fireworks. In fact, it nearly ended before it began. A standout at Michigan State, where he earned All-America honors, he was picked in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. But then came the crushing news—he failed his physical. Doctors spotted an irregular heartbeat, and for a moment, it seemed like the dream was over. Imagine being that close to the door of the league, only to feel it slam shut. But fate had other plans. Further tests revealed no serious threat, and Joe D stepped back onto the field, hungrier than ever. By the end of his rookie year, he was an All-Rookie selection, proving to everyone—including himself—that he belonged.
From there, the honors piled up, season after season. He became the backbone of Buffalo’s offensive line, the one opponents dreaded facing. Eight times he was named first- or second-team All-Pro, seven times All-AFC, and six times he earned a Pro Bowl nod. Only legends like John Hannah and Gene Upshaw stood ahead of him in consistency. And in 1975, his peers, the men who battled beside him and across from him, voted him Offensive Lineman of the Year. Respect doesn’t come any higher than that.
Durability became his trademark. Joe didn’t just play football—he endured it. Thirteen seasons, 185 straight games, never missing a start during his first eight years in Buffalo. When the Bills traded him to Cleveland in 1980, he kept that same ironman streak alive, starting nearly every game for the Browns. He wasn’t just available; he was reliable, a steady wall when chaos surrounded him.
His reputation as a run blocker is etched into history. When Simpson became the first back to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season, Joe was the man clearing the path. Watch the tapes—you’ll see him pulling, leading, hammering defenders out of the way to make history possible. But don’t think of him as one-dimensional. He could pass block with equal strength, rarely letting his man break through to the quarterback. He was complete, and that’s why he earned a spot on the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s.
When his career came full circle, Joe returned to Buffalo in 1985 for one final season, closing his story where it had all started. By then, he wasn’t just part of the “Electric Company.” He was its foundation, a man whose toughness and consistency defined an era.
Joe DeLamielleure may never have been the face on the highlight reels, but ask anyone who played with or against him, and they’ll tell you—he was the kind of player who made greatness possible. And maybe that’s the truest measure of a legend.
